The present invention relates to a flap seal of the type for a lamella seal.
Flap seals of this type are known in the practice and are deployed, for example, with throttle valves in steam conduits.
A seal of this type is disclosed, for example, in DE 298 22 791 U1. The flap seal shown therein includes two cover rings which surround a packet of sealing rings. This flap seal is formed by initially assembling together annular discs in a packet-type manner. The metallic rings include on the inner sides thereof inwardly oriented noses which, upon mounting of the disc packets, together under axial pressure, are welded to one another and the flap seal is thus permanently secured together. After this welding, the flap seal is brought by cutting or shaving into its designated form, which corresponds to the sleeve surface of a conical section of an inclined or tapered cone.
Otherwise, it is known in connection with conventional flap seals to assemble these together as well prior to the cutting or shaving work, with the individual lamellae being adhered to one another.
It is problematic in connection with these flap seals that they can no longer be divided or separated from one another after the cutting or shaving work. For this reason, the cover discs, which are typically formed of metal, and the sealing discs disposed therebetween, cannot be de-burred separately from one another. The de-burring of the fixed packets of discs comprised of materials which typically differ from one another therefore does not lead to an optimal surface quality of the seal surface.
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to create a flap seal the individual discs of which can be collectively worked or handled while the individual discs are securely mounted to one another, the individual discs of which can, further, be separated from one another for de-burring work thereon as desired and, following the de-burring, can be assembled together again in substantially the original orientation.
Due to the arrangement of positioning means relative to the cover rings, which position the cover rings relative to one another in the circumferential direction and/or relative to the inwardly disposed seal rings in a radial direction and which permit relative movement of the cover rings in the axial direction, the rings can be assembled together in the designated orientation, axially pressed, and then worked on in the assembled condition. They can then be again separated in the axial direction. The rings can then be de-burred and again assembled together in the original orientation. The pressing of the flap seal in the valve during the mounting step occurs, as well, in the axial direction.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims. In view of the fact that, in connection with the inventive method, there initially occurs a stacking of the individual rings in the designated serial arrangement, whereby the individual rings are releasably fixedly secured to one another radially and in the circumferential direction, then the finishing of the outer contour via cutting or shaving work, the thereafter-following separation of the individual rings, the de-burring of the individual rings, to the extent required, and, eventually, the assembling together of the individual rings in the original orientation and serial arrangement, as well as a mounting of the individual rings under axial pressure, a flap seal is produced whose individual rings have been finished or worked in a predetermined manner. The mounting then follows again in the arrangement by which the designated contour is ensured. The configuration of the worked surfaces of the individual rings is substantially improved in comparison to that effected by the known processes.